A rerun from 10-25-2011. It just gets better with age. The movie, that is, not this little commentary.
What we have here is a great trash classic. It has so much going for it that I hardly know where to begin. How about the cast, featuring the world's oldest teenagers? Okay, there's Mamie Van Doren, which right there lets you know you're in for a good time. There's Mel Tormé as a "hot-rod hoodlum"! Ray Anthony as a private-eye. Harold Lloyd, Jr. Charles Chaplin, Jr. Paul "Lonely Boy" Anka! Dick Contino. (Yes, the same one James Ellroy fictionalized.) The Platters! Not to mention Elinor Donahue, Cathy Crosby, Gigi Perreau, and Gloria Talbot.
One of my favorite memories of this movie comes from its first appearance on screen in my hometown. I was trying to talk a friend into going to see it with me. "It has Mel Tormé in it," I said. "Who's Mel Tormé?" he asked. "He's the Velvet Fog." "I still don't know who you're talking about." It was 1959, but Mel's time had come and gone. This movie didn't bring him back into the limelight.
It didn't do anything for Paul Anka's acting career, either. He's pretty bad. Okay, more than pretty bad.
So why do I love movies like that? I have no idea. Even in 1959 I knew how bad it was. But it shouldn't be forgotten. Watch it and see if you don't agree.
4 comments:
Now here we are talking true classic. You forgot to mention how hot a blonde Elinor "Princess" Donahue was. Yeah, Paul Anka was truly terrible. But Mel wasn't. And you simply cannot go wrong with Mamie. Next you should review her NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS (cannibalistic walking trees) or WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET (though I've always preferred Jackie's calling it PLANET OF THE PREHISTORIC WOMEN).
How she has never been recognized by the Academy is inexplicable.
Jeff
Wait, it is VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF PREHISTORIC WOMEN.
I always get them mixed up.
;)
Jeff
This is the type of movie where I love to have a group of like-minded aficionados over for dinner and then watch and comment MST3K style. Truly one of the greats!
And speaking of MST3K:
WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET.
Jeff
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